Springwise

iPad app enables long distance bedtime storytelling for...

iPad app enables long distance bedtime storytelling for families

Video chat has changed the way we communicate with far flung contacts, and we've already seen the technology applied to storytime through Smories, the platform that lets kids read bedtime stories to each other. Now Kindoma combines e-books with video calls to do the same for families who live apart. READ MORE…

SIM card offers cheap international data for frequent...

SIM card offers cheap international data for frequent fliers

While Hong Kong-based handy has offered a rented smartphone and unlimited internet access for tourists, this might not be the best option for frequent fliers regularly visiting different corners of the world. DOODAD is an international SIM card that enables travelers to take advantage of an inexpensive GSM connection regardless of the contract they're on. READ MORE…

Home servers offer inexpensive cloud storage to consumers We...

Home servers offer inexpensive cloud storage to consumers

We recently wrote about AOTERRA's decentralized server network that doubles as eco-friendly heating for homes. Now Space Monkey is another alternative to energy-consuming data centers that replaces standalone hard-drives with inexpensive home cloud storage devices. READ MORE…

App offers instant and easy small payment gift requests Regular...

App offers instant and easy small payment gift requests

Regular readers of Springwise may remember Jifiti, the app that lets consumers scan a barcode with their smartphone to gift the item to a friend. Now Ok'd enables anyone to take a photograph of a product and instantly receive money from a friend or relative to pay for it. READ MORE…

System crowdsources quake data from smartphones to save...

System crowdsources quake data from smartphones to save lives

We've already seen an app called Earthquake Buddy harness the power of smartphones to help users find their loved ones in the aftermath of a natural disaster. However, a new development called Crowdshake could act as an early warning system, by triggering warnings on nearby smartphones when tremors are detected by those nearer the epicenter. READ MORE…

Child abuse ad shows helpline info only to kids While some...

Child abuse ad shows helpline info only to kids

While some innovations such as the Colombian Kid Rescue app call on adults to flag instances of child abuse in public, it can be down to the child to speak up when it takes place in private. With this in mind, Mexico's ANAR Foundation developed an ad that uses lenticular printing technology to display encouraging messages to children that adults can't read. READ MORE…

In London, sewer fat will power world's largest grease-powered...

In London, sewer fat will power world's largest grease-powered electricity plant

Stay Green Oil has already offered those with waste oil the opportunity to re-use it, rather than throwing it away. In the UK, discarded oil and fat is causing problems in the capital's sewer systems, and now 2OC aims to tackle the problem with the world's largest fat-powered renewable electricity plant. READ MORE…

Where Are They Now? NanoSatisfi It's been almost 12 months since...

Where Are They Now? NanoSatisfi

It's been almost 12 months since we first wrote about the ArduSat project, when it had just successfully passed its target on crowdfunding website Kickstarter by more than three times. With the aim of making a form of space exploration possible for those without degrees in rocket science – but a little technical know-how – the scheme is focused on an open-source Ardunio-based mini satellite, packed with sensors, that anyone could register to spend some time controlling once launched into the stratosphere. The group behind the ArduSat have lofty ambitions in more ways than one, and has now formed its own company – NanoSatisfi – as a result of the success of their funding campaign. We spoke to CEO Peter Platzer to find out how they're getting on in making the dream of accessible space exploration a reality. READ MORE…

Through app, consumers connect with local fashion boutiques...

Through app, consumers connect with local fashion boutiques based on social interests

The fashion industry and social networks are just as dynamic as each other, which is perhaps why they lend themselves well to each other in a retail scenario, something that Material Wrld has already picked up on. Now the walkby app enables users to 'follow' new trends or products in order to receive notifications when local boutique stores have stock that matches their interests. READ MORE…

Stylish shirt doesn't need washing or ironing for 100...

Stylish shirt doesn't need washing or ironing for 100 days

ULTRA has already offered women a modular 10-piece wardrobe that aims to last them the whole year, but what about men? Wool & Prince has embarked on a mission to develop a smart shirt that doesn't crease or smell even after 100 days of wear. READ MORE…

Marblar turns its hand to crowdsourcing civilian uses for...

Marblar turns its hand to crowdsourcing civilian uses for military technology

Regular readers of Springwise may remember our coverage back in October of Marblar, the UK platform for helping scientists find alternative consumer uses for their medical patents and inventions. Now the company has announced a new partnership with Ploughshare Innovations – part of Britain's Ministry of Defence – to put military innovations to good use for the rest of society. READ MORE…

Magnetic clip keeps smartphones secure and portable While...

Magnetic clip keeps smartphones secure and portable

While the MIAmobi smartphone case has provided a way to protect the data the devices hold, those who want to rid themselves of cumbersome bags may need another solution if they still want to keep their handset on them. Clipless is an easy-to-use fastener that enables the attachment of smartphones to any surface or fabric. READ MORE…

Augmented reality platform enables consumers to virtually try...

Augmented reality platform enables consumers to virtually try before they buy

There have been numerous efforts to make augmented reality more than just a technological gimmick – fromdigital museum learning aids to virtual outdoor supermarkets. Now, France-based Augment is hoping to make it a useful sales tool for enabling consumers to see how products will look before they commit to buying. READ MORE…

From Sweden, small clip fixes shirt buttons without needle and...

From Sweden, small clip fixes shirt buttons without needle and thread

We recently saw Ministry of Supply's range of shirts that use material developed by NASA to keep the wearer cool. Using much more modest technology, the Sweden-based tic device nevertheless helps owners repair their shirt buttons in seconds, without the need for the usual needle and thread. READ MORE…

'Hospital Passport' helps comfort young patients UK children's...

'Hospital Passport' helps comfort young patients

UK children's hospitals, such as London's Great Ormond Street Hospital, have been featured on these pages before thanks to their innovative schemes to help kids deal with the stress of medical treatment. Now Scotland's Royal Hospital for Sick Children has also come up with the Hospital Passport scheme, which aims to make young patients feel more at ease when being passed from department to department. READ MORE…

Baby paintings marketplace transforms doodles into personalized...

Baby paintings marketplace transforms doodles into personalized modern art to raise money for charity

There are already numerous platforms that enable consumers to customize or personalize a work of art before they buy it. But how about combining the two, while raising money for a social cause? Australia-based Jellybeanstreet aims to do just that, allowing parents to create large scale replicas of their baby's art, modify it and sell it to friends and family to support children's charities. READ MORE…

Platform gamifies IT recruitment in the Philippines Gild...

Platform gamifies IT recruitment in the Philippines

Gild Source is one platform that helps recruiters find professional coders by automatically grading their script, and now Philippines-based Codetoki is helping companies find the right IT specialists by getting them to complete challenges based on the role. READ MORE…

Miracle-Gro partners with tech entrepreneurs to create...

Miracle-Gro partners with tech entrepreneurs to create location-based gardening advice app

If the number of innovations we've come across that help homeowners start gardening inside and out – such as the easy-to-use Patch – is anything to go by, it may provide some proof that the grow-your-own trend is still in full bloom. Our latest spotting is Sprout It, an app that not only provides location-specific advice to green-fingered consumers, but also aims to raise awareness about a brand pivot for its sponsor. READ MORE…

Peer-to-peer bonus system made easy for employers There are a...

Peer-to-peer bonus system made easy for employers

There are a number of web apps that help employers track individual and team achievements enabling them to allocate rewards fairly – take PropsToYou as an example. However, for larger companies it may be easier – and more effective – to let the employees themselves decide who deserves recognition from above. Bonus.ly is a platform that enables businesses to employ a peer-to-peer bonus allocation system across their organization. READ MORE…

Android smartphone app triangulates gunfire We recently wrote...

Android smartphone app triangulates gunfire

We recently wrote about Vaporsens, the handheld electronic dog's nose that can help police forces accurately detect illegal substances. Now, researchers at the Vanderbilt University in Nashville have developed a smartphone app that can detect the origin of gunfire. READ MORE…